March 25, 2016

We must make smart investments to protect Maine kids - By Sen. Bill Diamond

There
is a dedicated crew of law enforcement officers doing some of the most
difficult police work in our state, but if you saw them on the job, you may not
know they’re police officers.

They
won’t drive up in a police cruiser, or walk the beat downtown in a uniform. But
every day, they are confronted by the worst kinds of criminals, and a category
of human depravity that all of us should be lucky to avoid for our entire
lives.

They
are the men and women of the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit, and they
are responsible for the investigation and arrests of people who use 21st
century technology to commit crimes -- including child pornographers who abuse
vulnerable children for profit, and the sick individuals who create demand for
those products.

The
11 officers who make up the CCU do some of the hardest work of law enforcement.
And they do their jobs well. Their investigations have taken predators off the
streets and led to justice for abused children.

But
they need our help.

The
CCU needs about $89,000 of investment in new software, computer upgrades and
renewed analyst training.

We
recently learned that the state can expect a budget surplus of almost $73
million. That increased revenue is a good sign for Maine’s economy -- it means
individuals and businesses are earning more than the experts had predicted.

Gov.
Paul LePage has proposed putting all of that surplus in the state’s
Budget Stabilization Fund, the state savings account more commonly known as the
“rainy day fund.” I understand that impulse. We all know that when we receive
unexpected money, the smart thing to do is to save it.

However,
no families in our community would say it’s smart to put your whole paycheck
into savings before the mortgage and car payment are made. Our state
has some unpaid bills too, whether it’s the shortfall faced by our local
schools or the investments needed in the CCU.

My
house and senate colleagues on the appropriations are doing the hard work right
now of striking the right fiscal balance. I testified before the committee on
March 7, telling them about the critical need in the CCU, and I’m hopeful
they’ll consider that need as they make their decisions about the upcoming
surplus.

I
am disgusted by the frequency of stories about criminals abusing children --
whether it’s the monster creating and distributing child pornography, or the
degenerate trafficking those suffering children. But I’m far more
wary of a scenario in which those stories are never published, because those
criminals are allowed to operate with impunity, out of reach of law enforcement
officers who can’t keep up with them.

In
the high-tech world of computer crimes, our police officers need the best, most
up-to-date resources available to keep up with criminals. Fortunately, the legislature
should be able to provide this funding easily.